School begs SC to allow magistrates to teach

THE University of the Philippines (UP) has clarified that the professional lecturers of the university from the judiciary are not regular employees.

In a letter addressed to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Dean Danilo Concepcion of the UP College of Law reiterated their request to allow judiciary members to teach at their university as professional lecturers.

Concepcion in May this year lamented that their faculty has been deprived of additional prominent and distinguished members because of the constitutional prohibition against double compensation adding it is due to the apprehension that teaching in UP as a lecturer might be prohibited by the Philippine Constitution.

He told Sereno that it is their opinion that teaching in a public school like UP is not a case of holding double positions or employment in government.

Concepcion added that their students at the UP College of Law need the services of many of the distinguished members of the bench.

In return, Sereno asked Concepcion to submit certification issued by the UP Vice-President for Legal Affairs (VPLA) confirming that its lecturers are not employees of the school, which he complied.

“This is to certify that on July 8, 2013 the Office of the VPLA issued a legal opinion that professional lecturers are not employees of the university. Professional lecturers render service to the university under a contract of service that expresses the terms and conditions of their relations with the university,” Hector Danny Uy, vice president for Legal Affairs, said in the certification.

The VPLA pointed out that these lecturers are exempted from drug testing and are not bound from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) rules and regulations.

“In the absence of an employer-employee relationship, the appointment of lecturers are not restricted by or subject to CSC regulations,” the VPLA added.